Is Faire Killing Traditional Gift Shows… Or Making Them Better Than Ever?
If you’ve spent any time in the wholesale gift industry over the last few years, you’ve probably heard the debate.
“Faire is killing trade shows.”
“Nobody needs showrooms anymore.”
“Everything is moving online.”
The reality is much more interesting.
Faire isn’t killing trade shows. It’s changing how brands use them.
The brands experiencing the fastest growth aren’t choosing between Faire and in-person markets. They’re building a strategy where each channel strengthens the other.
Why Retail Buyers Are Shopping Differently
Ten years ago, buyers often attended a gift show to discover new brands, write orders, and disappear until the next market.
Today, buying behavior has changed.
Retailers browse brands online before market, create wish lists, compare collections, and often place reorders year-round through Faire. By the time they arrive at a showroom, they’re looking for confirmation, new product launches, and face-to-face conversations—not flipping through every catalog for the first time.
That’s not the end of trade shows. It’s an evolution.
What Trade Shows Still Do Better Than Anyone Else
No digital marketplace can replace the experience of holding a product, meeting a founder, or seeing an entire collection merchandised in person.
Trade shows continue to be one of the best places to:
Launch new collections
Build retailer relationships
Meet sales representatives
Receive immediate product feedback
Create memorable brand experiences
The brands that consistently grow understand that markets are no longer just order-writing events—they’re relationship-building events.
Where Many Brands Get Stuck
This is where we see the biggest opportunity.
Many brands sign up for Faire expecting wholesale orders to happen automatically.
Instead, they quickly realize they’re already juggling product development, inventory, customer service, marketing, shipping, accounting, and preparing for the next trade show.
Faire becomes just one more task on an already overwhelming list.
Some common challenges include:
Not having enough time to optimize listings
Being short-staffed and unable to manage another sales channel
Missing opportunities because they don’t understand how Faire works
Inconsistent product merchandising
Poor keyword optimization
Low reorder rates
Not leveraging promotions or campaigns effectively
The result isn’t that Faire doesn’t work.
It’s that Faire rarely reaches its full potential without consistent attention.
The Brands Winning Today Think Bigger
The highest-performing wholesale brands don’t rely on one channel.
They use Faire to generate discovery and year-round reorders.
They use trade shows to strengthen relationships and introduce new collections.
They use showrooms to create lasting partnerships with retailers and sales agencies.
Each channel supports the others.
A retailer who discovers your brand at market may reorder on Faire.
A retailer who finds you on Faire may schedule an appointment during the next gift show.
That’s how sustainable wholesale growth happens.
How Faire Growth Agency Helps
At Faire Growth Agency, we don’t just help brands grow on Faire—we help them build a complete wholesale growth strategy.
Our team combines over 15 years of wholesale gift industry experience with specialized Faire expertise to help brands:
Optimize their Faire storefront
Increase visibility and conversions
Improve reorder rates
Prepare for trade shows
Support showroom success
Create systems that grow wholesale revenue year-round
Whether you’re overwhelmed, short-staffed, or simply don’t have the time to manage Faire consistently, we’re here to become an extension of your team.
Start With a Free Faire Growth Audit
Not sure where your Faire store stands?
Our Free Faire Growth Audit provides a professional review of your storefront, identifies missed opportunities, and highlights actionable improvements you can make to increase visibility, orders, and long-term growth.
Because the future of wholesale isn’t Faire or trade shows.
It’s using both together—and doing it better than your competitors.